Game device with illuminable playing positions

ABSTRACT

A game device which includes a game board having a playing area on which a plurality of playing positions are arranged in a generally circular pattern. A miniature light-bulb is mounted for rotation beneath the playing area and a plurality of light transmitting spoke-like rod members are mounted beneath the playing area for directing light rays from the bulb along the lengths of the rods outwardly from the bulb. The inner ends of the rods are disposed adjacent the lightbulb and the outer ends of the rods are bent upwardly and comprise indicating means at the playing positions on the playing area. The lightbulb is rotated by a battery powered motor mounted beneath the playing area and a brake mechanism is employed for selective manual operation by players of the game to bring the lightbulb to a halt at a random position to provide a chance selection of one of the playing positions by directing light rays along one of the spokelike rods to indicate the selected position.

United States Patent 1191 Breslow 1 1 GAME DEVICE WITH ILLUMINABLE PLAYING POSITIONS [75] Inventor: Jeffrey D. Breslow, Highland Park,

[73] Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates,

Chicago, 111.

[22] Filed: Jan. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 319,191

[52] U.S. Cl 273/141 A [51] Int. Cl. A63b 71/06, A63f l/18 [58] Field of Search 273/141 R, 141 A, 142 A, 273/142 R, 142 B, 142 C, 142 D, 142 E, 142

F, 142 G, 142 H, 142 HA, 142 J, 142 JA,

142 JB,142 JC, 142 JD, 142 K, 13

272/8 P; 40/28 R, 28 C, 34, 130

35/4, 29 R; 240/1 E, 1 EL, 73 LD, 78 LD, 81

3,512,782 5/1970 Gessin 273/142 R 3,654,710 4/1972 Barnard 35/29 R Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Arnold W. Kramer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Coffee & Sweeney [5 7] ABSTRACT A game device which includes a game board having a playing area on which a plurality of playing positions are arranged in a generally circular pattern. A miniature light-bulb is mounted for rotation beneath the playing area and a plurality of light transmitting spoke-like rod members are mounted beneath the playing area for directing light rays from the bulb along the lengths of the rods outwardly from the bulb. The inner ends of the rods are disposed adjacent the lightbulb and the outer ends of the rods are bent upwardly and comprise indicating means at the playing positions on the playing area. The lightbulb is rotated by a battery powered motor mounted beneath the playing area and a brake mechanism is employed for selective manual operation by players of the game to bring the lightbulb to a halt at a random position to provide a chance selection of one: of the playing positions by directing light rays along one of the spokelike rods to indicate the selected position.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures GAME DEVICE WITH ILLUMINABLE PLAYING POSITIONS BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I-Ieretofore, various electrical devices have been developed for effecting random or chance illumination or deenergization of electrical lamps in various combinations in accordance with the laws of chance, for use in various games. Some of the devices have been devised to include playing positions resembling the appearance of dice. Other devices might have playing positions identified by different card value indicia similar to that of representative cards of a given set of playing cards. The lights from the lamps provide means for randomly or selectively indicating a particular one or more of the faces of the dice or a particular card value for use in playing the game. In most instances, complicated circuitry, switching and/or a plurality of circuits and lamps are employed with the device making or breaking the energizing of the circuits to the lamps, electrical motors, and the like. This invention is directed to providing a new and improved device of the character described, particularly one which utilizes a greatly simplified lighting system having a simple movable light source.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a new and improved game device of the character described.

In general, the invention contemplates the provision of a game board having a playing area with a plurality of playing positions arranged in a predetermined pattern on the playing area. Light responsive indicating means is provided at at least some of the playing positions and a common light source is movably mounted on the game board. Power means is provided for moving the light source in a path which makes it possible to project light therefrom toward at least one but not all of the light responsive indicating means when the light source is brought to a halt. Brake means is provided for selectively bringing the light source to a halt at a random position to provide a chance selection of at least one of the playing positions by lighting the respective indicating means thereat.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the game board is opaque and has a top wall defining the playing area, with the playing positions arranged in a circular pattern on the playing area. The playing positions may be identified by different card value indicia similar to that of representative cards of a standard set of playing cards. The light source comprises a miniature lightbulb rotatably mounted beneath the top wall of the game board so as to be hidden from view during normal playing of the game. A plurality of spoke-like plastic light directing rods are mounted with their inner ends adjacent the path of rotating movement of the lightbulb. The rods protrude radially outwardly from the lightbulb for directing light rays from the bulb along the lengths of the rods outwardly from the bulb. The rods are bent upwardly and protrude through the top wall of the game board, which defines the playing area, to provide the light responsive indicating means at the playing positions. The brake means has a manually manipulatable member disposed on top of the playing area centrally of the playing positions for selectively bringing the rotating lightbulb to a halt at a random angular position so as to project light along one of the plastic rods to randomly select one of the playing positions.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a battery operated motor is mounted beneath the playing area for rotating the lightbulb and switch means is provided to cut the battery power to the motor while at the same time actuating the aforesaid brake means. To effect this function, the switch means includes a spring leaf contact which is biased to a closed condition and which is operatively associated with the brake means to, at the same time, bias the brake means to a nonbraking condition. When the brake is actuated. the spring leaf contact simultaneously is moved to open the circuit to the battery operated motor.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game device embodying the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the game device of FIG. 1, with the top wall thereof substantially broken away to facilitate the illustration;

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical section, on a further enlarged scale, taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the spring contact and brake components; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of opposite sides of one of the playing pieces for use with the game device of the pres ent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the game device of the present invention includes a generally circular game board, generally designated 10, which has an elevated top wall portion 12 (FIG. 3) and a downwardly depending annular wall 14 about the periphery of the top wall. The top wall 12 is maintained in its elevated disposition by means of a supporting substructure, generally designated 16, which forms a housing for most of the operative components of the device, as best seen in FIG. 3. The top wall 12 is covered with a sheet 18 (FIG. 3) of felt material, or the like, and defines a playing area, generally designated 20 (FIG. 1).

A plurality of playing positions 22 are arranged in a circular pattern about the periphery of the playing area 20 on top of the felt covered top wall 12. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, each playing position is identified by different card value indicia identical to that of the thirteen respective cards of a standard set of playing cards, randing from the ace through the king. These thirteen card value playing positions may be utilized for playing the game of blackjack, as described hereinafter, as well as simulating other games played with standard playing cards.

By means described in greater detail hereinafter, the game device of the present invention contemplates the provision of random chance selection means which is light responsive, for randomly selecting one of the card value playing positions 22.

More particularly, a miniature lightbulb 24 (such as a three volt incandescent lamp) is removably received in a socket 26 fixed to the underside of a pulley member 28 rotatably mounted beneath the top wall 12 within the housing forming substructure 16. The pulley member 28 is supported by upper and lower stub shaft portions 30 and 32, respectively, and is rotated by means of a belt 34 which is wrapped around a smaller pulley 36 fixed to the drive shaft 38 of a battery powered motor 40. The motor 40 is mounted within the housing 16 in a socket 42, and a pair of batteries 44 are mounted within encasements 46 in circuit with the motor.

In order to provide power to the lightbulb 24 from the batteries 44 and motor 40, while at the same time continuously rotating the lightbulb with the pulley 28,

slipping contact means must be provided. For these purposes, stub shafts 30 and 32 are fabricated of electrically conductive material and are electrically connected to the lightbulb 24 (i.e., the socket 26) through lines 48 and 50 (FIG. 3), respectively. Stub shaft 30 is journalled in and constantly makes contact with an electrically conductive bearing 52 positioned within an aperture 54 in a recessed portion 56 of an interior housing wall 58. The lower end of stub shaft 32 is received in and constantly makes contact with an electrically conductive socket type bearing 60 positioned within a recess 62 of a lower wall portion 64 of the housing 16.

The bearings 52 and 60 are electrically connected through lines 66 and 68, respectively, to the batteries 44, as shown in FIG. 3. An on-off switch, generally designated 70, is positioned in the circuit and is connected to the batteries 44 through conductor lines 72 and 74. The lines 66 and 68 from the conductive bearings 52 and 60, respectively, actually are connected to the batteries 44 through the on-off switch 70 and lines 72 and 74, respectively. The switch 70 has a manually manipulatable button 76 (FIG. 1) protruding through the side wall 14 of the game board. Thus, when switch 70 is in its on or closed position, electrical current is fed to the lightbulb 24 through lines 66 and 68, through electrical conductive bearings 52 and 60, through conductive stub shaft portions 30 and 32, and then through lines 48 and 50 which rotate with the lightbulb.

The motor 40 is maintained in circuit with the on-off switch 70 by means ofline 76 which is connected intermediate the ends of line 68. The motor is connected to the batteries 44 through lines 78 and 80 which are connected to a cut-out switch, generally designated 82 and described in greater detail hereinafter.

In order to direct light rays from the lightbulb 24 to the playing positions 22 for indicating purposes, a plurality of plastic light transmitting rod members 84 are mounted within the housing forming substructure 16. As best seen in FIG. 2, the rod members 84 are arranged in a spoke-like pattern so as to direct the light rays from the bulb 24 radially outwardly along the lengths of the rod members toward the playing positions 22. The inner ends of the rod members are press fit within apertures 86 disposed generally equidistant about an annular interior wall portion 88 which depends downwardly from the wall portion 58. The outer ends of the rod members 84 are bent upwardly, generally at right angles as best seen in FIG. 3, and protrude through apertures 90 in the top wall 12 of the game board so as to be exposed to view on the playing area,

as best seen at 92 in FIG. 1. The outer ends 92 of the rod members thus comprise light responsive indicating means at the playing positions as light rays are transmitted along the lengths of the rod members from the bulb 24 to the playing positions 22.

It has been found that by using a miniature motor, such as a one-and-one-half volt motor, the lightbulb 24 and pulley 28 is rotated sufficiently fast to give a wave" affect about the playing area 28 at the outer ends 92 of the rod members 84 adjacent to the playing positions 22.

Brake means is provided for selective operation by players of the game to bring the lightbulb and pulley 28 to a halt at a random position to provide a chance selection of one of the playing positions 22 by stopping the lightbulb adjacent the inner end of one of the rod members 84. More particularly, a disc member 94 is threaded onto the top of stub shaft 30, the disc member having radially oriented serrations of the top or crown thereof. Preferably, the number of serrations should provide the same number of valleys or detents as the number of playing positions 22. A flat arm member 98 is mounted at one end 100 thereof above the serrated disc member 94 and has a downwardly depending braking boss 102 on the underside thereof, normally spaced from but in position for engagement with the serrations on top of the die member 94. A manually graspable handle or knob 104 has a downwardly depending shaft portion 106 protruding through an aperture 108 in the top wall 12 of the game board. The shaft portion 106 rests on top of the arm member 98 and, when in its normal non-braking raised position, a shoulder portion 110 of the knob 104 on the underside of the knob is spaced from the top of the playing area 20.

Thus, by applying force to the top of the knob 104, generally in the direction of arrow A (FIG. 3), the downwardly depending braking boss 102 is brought into contact with the serrations on top of the disc member 94 and sufficient applied force will cause the disc member and the associated stub shafts 30 and 32 of the pulley 29 to come to a halt, thereby halting the rotation of the lightbulb 24. The braking boss 102 might ride over one or more of the serrations on top of the disc member 94 until the disc member and the pulley 28 is brought to a halt at a random position, with the lightbulb 24 projecting its light rays along one of the rod members 84.

The cut-out switch 82 for the motor 40, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, has a top contact portion 112 and a lower leaf spring contact portion 114 normally biased into engagement with the top contact portion 112. The flat arm member 98 rests on top of the leaf spring contact 114, with the braking boss 102 out of engagement with the serrations 96. The leaf spring contact portion 114 provides a common biasing means for normally biasing the cut-out switch 82 to a closed condition as well as normally biasing the braking boss 102 to a non-braking position out of engagement with the serrations 96.

Thus, it can be seen that by applying force to the top of knob 104, power is cut to the motor 40 at substantially the same time the braking force is applied between the braking boss 102 and the serrations 96 on top of the disc member 94 which rotates with the lightbulb 24.

Obviously, the random chance selection means of the present invention could be used for a wide variety of games or playing schemes. By using card value indicia to identify the playing positions 22, representative simulated card games can be played. In the embodiment illustrated, with thirteen card value playing positions ranging from the ace value through the king value, the game of blackjack can be played. To facilitate such a game, a plurality of playing pieces or tokens 120 (FIG. 5) might be employed. Each playing piece could have the word player 122 imprinted on one side thereof and the word dealer 124 printed on the other side thereof. As one of the playing positions 22 is randomly selected by rotating and then halting the light bulb 24, one the playing pieces 120 can be positioned on the resulting indicated playing position with the respective side of the playing piece facing upwardly to indicate which player of the game was responsible for that particular play as indicated by the operation of the selection device.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A game device, comprising: I

a housing having a game board with a playing area and a plurality of playing positions arranged in a pattern on said playing area;

a common normally illuminated light source located within said housing;

a plurality of stationary light transmitting rod members for directing light rays from the light source to said playing positions, each rod member having an inner end and an outer end, the inner ends of the rod members being disposed arcuately adjacent to and about said light source, and the outer end of each rod member being disposed adjacent one of said playing positions;

rotatable light directing means for directing light rays from the light source outwardly toward the inner ends of the rod members but only one rod member at a time;

drive means for rotating said light directing means to illuminate said playing positions in a predetermined sequence one at a time; and

selectively operable manually actuatable brake means operatively associated with said drive means for positively stopping said drive means while said light source remains illuminated, whereby the light source. through one of said rod members, will illuminate a distinct one of said playing positions.

2. The game device of claim 1 wherein said light directing means includes a rotatable: pulley member connected to said drive means, wherein rotation of said pulley member directs the light rays of the light source toward the inner ends of the rod members.

3. The game device of claim 1 wherein said playing positions are arranged in a generally circular pattern on said playing area, and said brake means has a manually manipulatable member disposed generally centrally of the playing positions.

4. The game device of claim 1 wherein said playing positions are identified by different card value indicia similar to that of representative cards of a standard set of playing cards.

5. The game device of claim Il wherein said drive means includes an electrical motor and said brake means includes switch means electrically connected to said motor, and including common biasing means for normally biasing said switch means to closed condition as well as normally biasing said brake means to nonbraking condition, and manually manipulatable means for overcoming said biasing means to open the switch to the motor and to actuate the brake means.

6. The game device of claim 5 wherein said biasing means includes a spring leaf contact for said switch means, the contact being effective to hold said brake means in a non-braking condition when the switch is closed.

7. The game device of claim 1 wherein said playing positions are thirteen in number and are identified by the thirteen standard card value indicia ranging from the standard ace through the king values and including a plurality of playing pieces for positioning at said playing positions.

8. The game device of claim 7 wherein said playing pieces are generally disc shaped] and have the word player imprinted on one side thereof and the word dealer printed on the opposite side thereof. 

1. A game device, comprising: a housing having a game board with a playing area and a plurality of playing positions arranged in a pattern on said playing area; a common normally illuminated light source located within said housing; a plurality of stationary light transmitting rod members for directing light rays from the light source to said playing positions, each rod member having an inner end and an outer end, the inner ends of the rod members being disposed arcuately adjacent to and about said light source, and the outer end of each rod member being disposed adjacent one of said playing positions; rotatable light directing means for directing light rays from the light source outwardly toward the inner ends of the rod members but only one rod member at a time; drive means for rotating said light directing means to illuminate said playing positions in a predetermined sequence one at a time; and selectively operable manually actuatable brake means operatively associated with said drive means for positively stopping said drive means while said light source remains illuminated, whereby the light source, through one of said rod members, will illuminate a distinct one of said playing positions.
 2. The game device of claim 1 wherein said light directing means includes a rotatable pulley member connected to said drive means, wherein rotation of said pulley member directs the light rays of the light source toward the inner ends of the rod members.
 3. The game device of claim 1 wherein said playing positions are arranged in a generally circular pattern on said playing area, and said brake means has a manually manipulatable member disposed generally centrally of the playing positions.
 4. The game device of claim 1 wherein said playing positions are identified by different card value indicia similar to that of representative cards of a standard set of playing cards.
 5. The game device of claim 1 wherein said drive means includes an electrical motor and said brake means includes switch means electrically connected to said motor, and including common biasing means for normally biasing said switch means to closed condition as well as normally biasing said brake means to non-braking condition, and manually manipulatable means for overcoming said biasing means to open the switch to the motor and to actuate the brake means.
 6. The game device of claim 5 wherein said biasing means includes a spring leaf contact for said switch means, the contact being effective to hold said brake means in a non-braking condition when the switch is closed.
 7. The game device of claim 1 wherein said playing positions are thirteen in number and are identified by the thirteen standard card value indicia ranging from the standard ''''ace'''' through the ''''king'''' values and including a plurality of playing pieces for positioning at said playing positions.
 8. The game device of claim 7 wherein said playing pieces are generally disc shaped and have the word ''''player'''' imprinted on one side thereof and the word ''''dealer'''' printed on the opposite side thereof. 